(Photo: SRP)By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 July 2009
An unruly gathering of opposition supporters on Friday caused Phnom Penh Municipal Court to postpone a verdict in the defamation case against Mu Sochua until August.
Mu Sochua is being sued by Prime Minister Hun Sen for defamation, following her own suit against the premier in April. The municipal court was swarmed with more than 200 supporters Friday, while observers from the diplomatic and civil rights communities looked on.
Mu Sochua was present for the proceedings, which lasted all day, but she was unable to find a lawyer, after her first counsel resigned in the face of his own defamation suit and other attorneys were not found. Mu Sochua invoked her right to remain silent, saying in a statement to the court she was being denied a right to a fair trial.
“This right can only be guaranteed when I, as the accused, am judged by an independent and impartial tribunal,” she told the court.
Mu Sochua had sued Hun Sen for allegedly derogatory remarks made during the 2008 election campaign, but the court dropped the suit against her while maintaining the countersuit of Hun Sen. She had her parliamentary immunity suspended by the National Assembly in June.
“As an elected representative of the people, as a woman verbally attacked in public, I seek justice,” she said in her statement to the court. “The decision you are about to make will require conscience, impartiality and your own determination to stay above all forms of political pressure. If your choice is dictated by those who use the court as an instrument to silence their critics, then there can be no justice. There can be no rule of law.”
Hun Sen’s lawyer, Ky Tech, demanded the court punish Mu Sochua “according to the law” and fine her 10 million riel, about $2,500.
Court prosecutor Sok Kalyan said the evidence showed Mu Sochua was guilty of defaming Hun Sen and the law called for a fine of up to that amount. The law did not call for a prison term, he said.
At the end of the day, court judges said they would announce a verdict Aug. 4.
Mu Sochua is being sued by Prime Minister Hun Sen for defamation, following her own suit against the premier in April. The municipal court was swarmed with more than 200 supporters Friday, while observers from the diplomatic and civil rights communities looked on.
Mu Sochua was present for the proceedings, which lasted all day, but she was unable to find a lawyer, after her first counsel resigned in the face of his own defamation suit and other attorneys were not found. Mu Sochua invoked her right to remain silent, saying in a statement to the court she was being denied a right to a fair trial.
“This right can only be guaranteed when I, as the accused, am judged by an independent and impartial tribunal,” she told the court.
Mu Sochua had sued Hun Sen for allegedly derogatory remarks made during the 2008 election campaign, but the court dropped the suit against her while maintaining the countersuit of Hun Sen. She had her parliamentary immunity suspended by the National Assembly in June.
“As an elected representative of the people, as a woman verbally attacked in public, I seek justice,” she said in her statement to the court. “The decision you are about to make will require conscience, impartiality and your own determination to stay above all forms of political pressure. If your choice is dictated by those who use the court as an instrument to silence their critics, then there can be no justice. There can be no rule of law.”
Hun Sen’s lawyer, Ky Tech, demanded the court punish Mu Sochua “according to the law” and fine her 10 million riel, about $2,500.
Court prosecutor Sok Kalyan said the evidence showed Mu Sochua was guilty of defaming Hun Sen and the law called for a fine of up to that amount. The law did not call for a prison term, he said.
At the end of the day, court judges said they would announce a verdict Aug. 4.
37 comments:
To avoid critic from International Countries, Dictator (Hun Xen) ordered to the Court to postphone the verdict.
Everything is in his hand, what ever he wants to do he will do.
This time he can't, next time he will. Dictator has never wanted to lose.
One eyed hyena blinked with his good eye. here is one lady who stood up to a murderer.
Keep up the pressure, one eyed hyena feels threatened with the economic and financial crisis.
Maybe he blinked with his bad eye.
Under hun sen regime, the court system is no better than pol pot' time. Everything is dark black, and backward.
Anonymous said...
Ms Mu SocHua
Do not seek justice from men (human) for in their heart there is no justice. But seek justice from God. Your God. If your gods are money, fame, pride, approvals from men, honour, praise, your gods cannot give you justice or anything else for you or to save you except to bring you down even further. But if your God is God the Creator of heaven and Earth, God of Love, God of justice, merciful God, forgiving God, God Almighty, God the Savior, God that sent his only Son to come to save us, He will save you and He will lift you up from the trial and persecution, if you go to him and humbly ask Him.
Plead for His help and Justice, And He will prevail over men injustice.For He will be with you and guide you and protect you.
To the judge, the prosecutor, to the persecutor... your heart is troubled, your way is wicked, you toil, you judge to please men but not for justice. You fear men but not God. Your deeds will not go unpunished. In due time you will be judged and punished and pay back the price of your injustice. Look at Duch. your due time is near, very near, and the price you will pay back will be hundred folds. Your family will continue to pay for you also.No one will escape.
If you cannot judge to give justice to your fellow people, you should at least know how to judge for yourself and for your own justice.
7:03Pm It does not bloody make any sense!!!
Here is a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:" Injustice
anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere." I support this quote because when there 's no justice in Cambodia and there is no justice for Mrs. Mu Sochua,and there is dangerous for the country.
Go Sochua!
Where were Hun Xen's supporters? Where was Hun Xen' lawyer, Ky Tech? Where were they hiding in the caves This shows the failure of the Hun Xen policies.
7:03 PM
Your philosophies don't fit this case . You must have been copying it from somewhere and adding some of your own words into it , that's why it makes no sense .
the show down between the dictator and the bravery khmer lady is not over yet. no matter what the verdict will be , the dictator will lose because ... if the court reward him the victory he will be blamed by the world for abusing his power .. if the court found no guilty in the verdict , the dictator will lose face because he couldn't intimidate the lady like he used to do to other people in the past.
10:59 PM,
7:03 PM meant that there are a court of men, and God's judgment.
for the people who are God's believers, they will be judged and saved by God, not by men's political courts. Both the prosecutors and the convicts of men's courts will still be judged by the God.
God's judgment will not be seen in TVK, or CTN, or Bayon TV, or CNN, or Fox News, or in any pompous in-front-of-Royal Palace "defile." Those meaningless polical stages mean nothing to both Christian or Budhhist faith.
You People please, do like I do - DO NOT give a SHIT about ah Viet/Yuon's TRASH, PPU!!!
She doesn't appear to know the difference between the system used in the Khmer courts and those of common law countries like England, U.S. a some others. Cambodia follows the Civil Law tradition which is used by France, Italy, Germany and most European courts and courts of most of the world. In that system, just as in Cambodia, the accused meets in the office of the Investigating judge- who acts as an information gatherer. He/she can call witnesses, request documents and essentially the judge puts together the whole case and comes to a conclusion which then goes to the trial judge. It really is a foregone conclusion as to guilt or innocence at that point in time and this is normal in the Civil Law courts. The so-called trial (which is really not a trial in the Common Law type systems such as US and England, is an opportunity for the accused to present any new or different evidence that may alter the already decided tentative conclusion reached by the Investigative Judge.
So when Madam choose not to "testify" it really makes no difference at all, since she already met with the Investigative judge and told her side of the story. In short, this is not injustice but rather totally in keeping with the civil law tradition.
Let's not forget that if she was an unknown journalist or an ordinary citizen, she would have been fined , jailed or even assasinated;
12 journalists have been assasinated
already.
That's one eyed hyena kangaroo court.
12:47 AM,12:54 AM
at lease mu do something to the country not like you just waitting for food and put in your mouth. if no body do anything then our country will sink deeper and deeper, hun sen will happy to do all the bold or shit to the country without mu or other people stand up ah sen will bring country down and down or may be there is no more khmer land. look at his politic right now serve only his own familly he does not care a bout people. and if US do not have Dr. Martin Luther King fight for the justice you and me will not be so happy living in US so as same as Mue sochue win or lose at lease she let the words know show that all kmer people are not dump and stupit like ah hun. without mu the wolds views khmer as supid people because; ah Hun range in a very low Pm and stupidity in the worlds or khmer dummy pm;. because ah hum dummy is reflected to us as khmer people.
civil law or common law, the one run by SiPiPi still has a singular outcome - victory to SiPiPi. It is an insult to compare to the European courts what they have in PP.
big deal!
yeah, go back to sleep, dude?
She is well protected by the international communities. How's about the majority of her supporters? They are in prison. Mu Sochua, please double think before you act.
You know the court is controlled by the CPP. If I were you, I would not have started the problem first. When you are no longer a MP, what would do? You should have chosen a smart way to deal with CPP folks in name of MP. We are sorry to lose you, but you have also disappointed us in a way you chose to deal with CPP. Losing today win tomorrow is still a good strategy to deal with CPP.
A man with a wooden eye was very sensitive about his eye for fear of people making fun of him. One day this man decides to go out and have some fun. So, he goes to a bar and orders a beer. Then, out of the corner of his eye he sees a woman with a flat face. He thinks,” Well, she wouldn't make fun of me because she would understand how I feel." So, he finally gathers up the courage to talk to her, he goes over and asks her, “Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" And the woman answers, “Would I!!!" (Wood Eye) The man, obviously offended, screams, "flat face!!!" and storms out of the bar.
2:18 PM
It appears that you need to find a sharp stick and stick it into your asshole.
Go back to school and learn how to write a comment correctly, because your writing skill is disappointly pathetic. Well, it okay for a junior college dropped out like yourself.
Pi Anh: PPU
Mus Sochua deserves a punishment for her arrogant remarks. She considers herself too high, too expensive to deserve respects from Cambodians. You know that? KK
Pi Anh PPU , why are you irritating of 2:18's comment ? what has it got to do with you ? are you being on drug or something ?
Pi Anh PPU , you need to get anger management help .. the sooner is the better.
11:55 AM , can you tell readers what remarks has Mu Sochua made to make you think that she deserves a punishment ? I hope you use your brain to comment others .
I will be back here to read the report from you on Mu Sochua's remarks 11:55 AM.
12:00 PM
Fuck you!
Pi Anh: PPU
It is great if Mu Sochua tries to promote rights for Khmer women in Cambodia as she always said on the media. However, she should share experiences particular her skills on the bed with white man who has a little brother "Bigger and longer" than Khmer man. Otherwise, any Khmer woman who married to a white man can't cope or enjoy her honeymoon on the bed. I am sure Mu Sochua must have very good ideas in this issue.
Cheers.
Cheer for what?
You poeple call this a "victory"?
Leave the lights on, because the party is not over.
PPU
Hi there (12:00), I guess you do not live in Cambodia- u don't know the severity or non-severity of the problem and I don't want to go further talking about Mu Sochua as she is just nothing that consitute a gain for the country, than to conclude again that she is just an opportunist who only want to stir up internal problem in Cambodia for her own popularity. She does not represent anything, better go represent American as she is also holding American citizens. She will be fired from SRP soon to your diappointment.
12:00
Anger only clouds my judgment and hinders my decision-making process. No, I do not easily get anger by a piece of shit like you and your clans.
Don't worry, pal, the disappoointment is headed toward your way. Again, don't turn off the lights just yet, because the party is over.
We understand the rules of our leadership. However, we don't know if your failed leaders know and understand the rules and principle of leadership, because apparently your failed leaders had been failed time and time again. The country needs real leader and leadership to get Cambodia moving forward.
Long live CPP!
Pi Anh: PPU
12:17PM,
It's good idea. I agree with you 100%. Mu Sochua should teach Khmer women who are planning to marry to white men about how to enjoy themselves on the bed with white men, despite white men's penis is bigger and longer than Khmer's man, but it's worth it. Look at Mu Sochua, she ejoys with a white man and got three kids as well. So, Khmer should know that how strong she is???
2.18 p.m.
I see you still have not learned how to use a hyphen.
Do you now see how stupid you really are?
Yes, the truth of the matter is that you're “stupid as a mule” and as dumb as a bag of doorknobs, yet pretend to be smart.
Pi Anh: PPU
The Bible (Proverbs 24.11-12)
Don't hesitate to rescue someone who is about to be executed unjustly. You may say that it is none of your business, but God knows and judges your motives. He keeps watch on you; He knows. And He will reward you according to what you do.
Hi PPU, can I ask that you don't use the term "anh" before PPU. PPU would be enough to make this forum holds diversity of ideas. Grateful for your thought.
I would be happy to see Mu Sochua out of politics. She does not give Cambodia any gain politically and ecomically . KK
4:52 PM
Yes, sir! Absolutely!
Since she's so hungry for power, do you think she will abnegate from her power? Also, I do not think she will give up her political career, although she does not know the rules of leadship in which she's now playing. Then again, it is my sincere hope that she will be disappeared from political arena.
PPU
4:27 PM
Rest assured, if she's convicted, she'll need to serve her time; however, she will not be executed, although behavior modification is helpful for a long term--if she decided to come back and express her opinion and view again. Further, I'd highly doubted that she'll be exculpated of her criminal behavior.
PPU
WE LOBSTER THEY MOBSTER...
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Tortures
Executions
Massacres
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Human Abuses
Assault and Battery
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Assassinations
Assassinate Journalists
Assassinate Political Opponents
Murders
Killings
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and others military official on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Remove Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Under Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed all of these crimes above within Hun Sen Khmer Rouge government have ever been brought to justice.
Throngs of supporters of unknown opposition leader travel in cavalcade to the cemetery for a final burial.
God be with them!
PPU
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